Definitions of the Undefinable
by TappinCastlefan
Summary: A series of 100-word one-shots, all based on the word of the day.  Some based on episodes, some original ideas.  Every character featured at some point.
1. zetetic

_This is an idea that struck me a while ago, but I just started it. Each chapter is going to be based on a different word of the day. I'll collect them in batches of 7 - for one whole week - before I post them. They're all independent of each other, involving everyone and everything. Some go with episodes, some don't. Unfortunately, I don't own any part of Castle. Not even one of those amazing Beckett coats. _

_I hope you enjoy these! Let me know what you think! _

_Love, Tappin._**_  
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**zetetic**

**-adj.**

**proceeding by inquiry; investigating.  
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Do the job. That was core.

Find the evidence.

Question suspects.

Trust the facts.

Trust your gut.

Get the killer.

Close the case.

Bring justice.

Day in and day out they worked. They stood for people who could no longer stand for themselves. Stood for families who needed their guidance. Families who were at a loss for what to do.

They went through the steps. Took precautions. Followed protocol. And did a damn good job. They knew what they were doing. These were not green cops just learning which end of the gun to hold.

Beckett, Ryan, Esposito.

Trained detectives.


	2. kenspeckle

**kenspeckle**

**-adj.**

**conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.  
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It was all inherited. He firmly believed that at least part of the way you were was because of whom you came from.

Because of his mother, Rick had little to no concept of restraint.

They both put their hearts and souls into everything they did. No matter what.

It was what made Martha and Rick Martha and Rick.

And by the natural chain of events, everyone knew when one of them was doing something, and exactly why. Because neither quite knew how to keep their mouth shut.

There better be spectacular reasoning, if you don't know Martha and Rick.


	3. rubric

**rubric**

**-n.**

**any established mode of conduct or procedure.**

* * *

Social stereotypes said that she had to be rowdy, disrespectful, stubborn, and a multitude of other adjectives.

They said that she had to disobey authority. Be part of a standard.

Alexis Castle was anything but a statistic.

Blessed with logic and wisdom, she had the power to separate herself.

So, she made up her own rules. Something she learned from her father – how to defy the expected.

Maybe the way she exercised the skill was a bit different from what he had in mind, but she knew he preferred her methods of living.

Smart, respectful, caring.

Better standards for living.


	4. jubilee

**jubilee**

**-n.**

**the completion of 50 years of existence, activity, or the like, or its celebration.  
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Running his rough, tender palms over the wood, Captain Roy Montgomery looked out into the bullpen.

They were his men. His women. His people.

Everyday, they put their lives on the line to help the innocent. Make a difference.

Just as he had dedicated his life to justice, so had they.

In retrospect, he had, and was leading, a great life. "Extraordinary" – so their shadow would say.

In his lifetime he had acquired a great many friends and family members. Really made something of himself. He was enjoying this self-reflection.

Roy thought birthdays were the perfect excuse to be sentimental.


	5. soupcon

**soupcon**

**-n.**

**a slight trace, as of a particular taste or flavor.  
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Parallels could be drawn between nearly everything. If you looked hard enough. Kate Beckett knew that.

She knew that Nikki and Rook were more than just characters on a page. She knew that video games weren't just a way for the boys to hang out.

Everything, right down to how she took her coffee could parallel some bigger issue.

Her coffee was strong. No two ways about that.

But it was also soothing. A hint of vanilla to soften the caffeine.

One steaming, liquid parallel her life.

The piercing presence of death. Only eased by the love around her.


	6. rue

**rue**

**-v.**

**to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.  
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A man had regrets. Who didn't? A man tried with all his might to forget them.

But Richard Castle would never forget the look on his partners face when she learned that he had betrayed her trust.

Would always remember the way she looked at him through glassy eyes before turning away.

And there was nothing he could do about that now, except work. Work to regain her trust, her faith in him.

Every time he looked into the depths of her gaze, just a bit farther than she intended him to see, he would remember.

Despite his best efforts.


	7. subaudition

**subaudition**

**-n.**

**an act or instance of understanding or mentally supplying something not expressed.  
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When little Castle looked to her, unsure of herself, eyes shimmering, Kate knew what to do.

She had been there.

She knew what it felt like to be scared. Nervous of what would happen if she left. When Kate was in college she was petrified of what could, possibly, god forbid, happen if she studied abroad.

But her father, equally as frightened, told her that they'd both regret it if she didn't go.

He already hated himself for becoming her excuse.

So, best as she could, Kate pulled herself together, took Alexis' hands in hers.

Warmed them with unspoken understanding.


	8. tittle

_Just a friendly reminder that these pieces are based on the definitions. They're not necessarily supposed to be perfect examples of them. But I do hope you find some interesting words, maybe learn something, and hopefully enjoy the pieces!_

_Thanks for being so supportive!_

_3  
Tappin. _

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**tittle**

**-n.**

**a very small part or quantity; a particle, jot, or whit.  
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Their friends joked that they were blind. Teased that they should get together. They even had a pool going.

They both knew about it. Rick and Kate.

And it amused them.

They amused each other.

Playful jabs over coffee. Innocent flirting at the murder board.

Without doubt, they both loved the game of it - the swordplay. But that was only a small part of their relationship.

There was so much more to Rick and Kate then that sexy needling.

There was banter, clever and swift. And there was teamwork.

But above all, they understood each other better than anyone.


	9. ambrosial

**ambrosial**

**-adj.**

**exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant  
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There is nothing spectacular about whipped cream.

To that Richard Castle would firmly disagree.

Maybe it's true that there's nothing physically exceptional about it. White and fluffy. That's about as creative as descriptions went.

But, Richard Castle knew, there was nothing like a mouthful of the stuff.

The sound of air passing through the nozzle put his head in a choke-hold.

The sweet, sugary taste on his tongue was enough to launch him straight to heaven.

But it was the thick, creamy texture coating his teeth that caught his heart.

Richard Castle religiously believed that whipped cream was beyond spectacular.


	10. arch

**arch**

**-adj.**

**cunning; crafty; sly.  
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No one could deny that Kate Beckett was a good cop. They couldn't debate over her drive, her passion.

It was impossible to ignore her skill in the box.

Three men stood behind the two-way mirror, in honest-to-god fear. Not for themselves. No.

For the poor soul in the chair, beneath her glare, contracted in upon himself.

Kate Beckett knew how to get the truth. She'd pull it out of her suspect like thread through silk.

Smart was an understatement. Detective Kate Beckett was brilliant at instilling fear into a murderer.

Lying, deceiving, conning her suspect into tipping his hand.


	11. quaggy

**quaggy**

**-adj.**

**soft or flabby.**

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She made him do things he never thought he'd do.

Kevin Ryan knew that he had a soft spot for women. It was admitted that he had even asked a telephone operator out on a date.

But Jenny took that soft spot, and turned it into a fine pulp.

For her, he would pause every hour or so to take the time to let her know he was alright. Because he knew she worried about him in the field.

For her, he would wear hideous ties to work. Because he knew she liked to pick them out.

Anything for her.


	12. burlesque

**burlesque**

**-adj.**

**involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject.  
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They each knew it was wrong. Somewhere deep, hidden beneath muscles and the organs, they knew.

It was morally wrong to be cracking jokes.

But when this was what you did, stand over the murdered, day after day, you needed a release.

It helped clear the mind. Made it easier to see straight. To sleep at night.

The jokes somehow made them better at the job.

That was what was the most important. Solving the case.

So if someone felt the urge to be funny, they were given a faint sideways glare of disdain.

But also, muted appreciation, and understanding.


	13. wend

**wend**

**-v.**

**to pursue or direct (one's way).**

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There was a reason for everything. Certainly a reason for Kate Beckett to be a detective.

Each and every officer at the twelfth could tell you she was the best, but they didn't have to. Anyone could see it.

The human condition led bystanders to speculate on the why. _Why_ she was the best.

But the reason was not common knowledge. Only her closest friends would ever know.

Ever since that dark, fateful night she had been pushing herself.

Following every line of investigation, never missing a trick. Standing for the departed.

Persevering through more darkness to find the light.


	14. jactation

**jactation**

**-n.**

**boasting; bragging.  
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Roy Montgomery was not a cocky man.

He was not one to flaunt his precinct's clearance rate in the faces of other captains.

But he sure did want to.

Roy considered himself the luckiest captain in New York, of the most unique squad.

Unique was nearly an understatement.

Even after years as their boss he still couldn't figure them out.

Perhaps that's what made them such damn good cops.

It was a constant struggle for him to keep his mouth shut. Having to stop himself from bragging about his department.

Because he just couldn't deny it – he was damn proud.


	15. imago

_Here's the next batch! I really like these! Hope you do too! Please let me know what you think! If you're still with me!  
_

_3 Tappin. _

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**imago**

**-n.**

**an idealized concept of a loved one, formed in childhood and retained unaltered in adult life.  
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When she was a little girl her mother told her stories. Stories of grandure. Of princesses locked away in towers, put under spells.

And they were always rescued by the night in shining armor with loyal steed.

Released from the curse by true love's kiss.

She was still waiting for her rescue. Her true love.

She wasn't alone. No, she knew she would never be alone.

But part of her knew he was still out there.

And one day, her true love would come. Some said it was a foolish, childish dream.

Foolishness aside, Martha Rogers believed in true love.


	16. brobdingnagian

**brobdingnagian**

**-adj.**

**of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.**

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No word could possibly describe the love Richard Castle had for his daughter.

She was the light of his life.

Hell, she was his life.

More than anything he wanted her to be happy. And if that meant growing up a little, being an actual adult, he would do it.

He'd go to hell and back for his little girl.

In the last sixteen years he had stayed up many a night while she was sick, kissed countless boo-boos, more recently, made coffee for late night study sessions.

He'd give her the world if he could.

He loved her indescribably.


	17. agog

**agog**

**-adj.**

**full of excitement or interest; in eager desire; eager, keen.**

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Richard Castle was daunting to the homicide detectives of the twelfth precinct. Never had any of them seen one person, let alone a grown man, get so excited over murder.

It made no sense.

Murder was violent. Gruesome. Repulsive.

And here was this man, riled up like a child on Christmas morning, over a dead body.

But if that enthusiasm aided in the investigation, logic didn't matter.

Sometimes, he came off as a breath of fresh air.

A glimmer of hope in the darkness of homicide.

They could never get quite as excited, but they could smile a little more.


	18. diaphanous

**diaphanous**

**-adj.**

**of such fine texture as to allow light to pass through; translucent or transparent.  
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When she first moved in Kevin didn't completely love her choice of drapery.

He thought they were, frilly, girly window decorations. They mocked him whenever he was called in the middle of the night. Laughed at him.

But now, on his day off, he was starting to have second thoughts. His girlfriend was curled into his chest, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon.

The sheer fabric of her beloved drapes, allowed the perfect amount of light into the room. Not enough to disturb her sleep, but just enough that he could admire it.

Maybe they weren't so bad.


	19. frabjous

**frabjous**

**-adj.**

**wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious.  
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Smooth, rich chocolate, complemented by sweet and tangy raspberry sauce. Married together, a union of desert perfection.

A fluffy wedge of cake teetered on the tip of her fork, off balance because of the thick fruity topping. Slowly, she chewed the decadence, savoring its creamy texture, allowing the flavors to dance across her tongue.

A soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

"You're enjoying that, huh?" Javi asked her from across the table.

"Best. Desert. Ever," Lanie replied, taking another forkful. "Thanks for bringing me here."

He took her free hand in his, smiling. He loved to see her happy.


	20. hobbledehoy

**hobbledehoy**

**-n.**

**an, awkward, gawky young fellow.  
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One of his best kept secrets was his childhood stature. It was not at all impressive as his current build.

He was the geek. Not in the sense that he was a nerd, rather, he was geek-ish.

His arms were something akin to noodles, his legs resembled toothpicks.

It wasn't until somewhere around the eighth grade where he hit his growth spurt. Developed some legitimate muscle, and shot up by about a foot.

It was nobody's business what he looked like as a kid.

All they needed to know was now Javier Esposito was a man.

A damn strong man.


	21. aeon

**aeon**

**-n.**

**eon.  
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Detective Kate Beckett slumped over her desk, massaging her throbbing temples with the heels of her hands.

He just wouldn't shut up, would he?

No. It seemed as if she were sentenced to listen to the many tales of Richard Castle for eternity.

What she would give for five minutes of silence. By now, his voice was practically branded on her eardrums.

Hand in hand with his talking, was his presence.

The man never left!

And every time she thought she could shake him loose, he wedged his way back in.

What had she done to deserve such a sentence?


	22. rigmorole

**rigmorole**

**-n.**

**an elaborate or complicated procedure  
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Rick Castle never realized how tedious it was to be a cop.

Day after day, case upon case, he watched as his friends operated by the endless rules of the justice system.

Every line of investigation had to be followed. Every possible suspect interrogated, every scenario thought out. There was no room for error and oversight.

Paperwork had to be detailed. Each moment of the investigation accounted for, documented.

If there were any gaps in the story, cracks in the case, it could all fall apart.

They could fall apart.

So, he watched as they became slaves to the system.


	23. efface

**efface**

**-transitive v.**

**to destroy, as a mental impression; to wipe out; to eliminate completely  
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The only person who could achieve the perfect crime was a medical examiner.

Sure, alibis and timelines factored in, but they were irrelevant if there was no forensic evidence.

Those pesky little prints could tie a person to a victim. Or those few stray hairs that fell off without the perpetrator's knowledge. Anything and everything on a killer could be used as evidence, right down to the soles of their shoes.

Sidney Perlmutter knew it all. Should the need arise, he could commit the perfect crime.

But instead, he used it for the better.

Tying the killers to the victims.


	24. confiscable

**confiscable**

**-adj.**

**liable to be taken by an authorized party  
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Sitting on her desk he made her promise.

He didn't have to beg, though it was with melancholy confusion that she agreed.

Kate promised Rick that, should anything happen to him, she would watch out for his daughter.

He sighed, relieved that it had been that easy. After all, who could resist Alexis?

It was then, that he boldly, and bluntly, authorized her to get rid of his porn collection before his beloved daughter could find it.

She had opened her mouth to reply, when Esposito took the reins.

Almost too gladly, taking on the responsibility.

Boys will be boys.


	25. lucifugous

**lucifugous**

**-adj.**

**avoiding light  
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A thin sliver of yellow light peeked through the window in his bedroom, yet Rick remained in the shadows.

He could hear Beckett's voice in the back of his head. Telling him that he was being overdramatic. He could hear Lanie telling him that it was biologically impossible.

And yet, he was still afraid to step into the sunlight. His neck was still sore.

Maybe he should just stay inside for the day.

His dreams of solitude were crushed when his phone rang.

Beckett.

And he was going to let a little light keep him from a murder?

Absolutely not.


	26. satori

**satori**

**-n.**

**in zen Buddhism, the state of sudden indescribable intuitive enlightenment**

* * *

There was no telling when it would strike. That one instance when the entire case came together and they knew who the killer was.

Sometimes it was logical. They'd be standing in front of the murder board, discussing the timeline, pitching theories.

But more often that not, it made no sense. They'd be off in their respective directions, independent of each other.

And the answer would be there. Staring them in the face.

None of them would complain, because it never mattered how they reached the right conclusion, so long as they did.

And being cops, they trusted their instincts.


	27. mussitate

**mussitate**

**-v.**

**to silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech**

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Sometimes he couldn't help himself. He was in an interrogation with her and just couldn't help but comment. Suspects could be so tempting.

Rick was casually sitting in his chair – he loved that it had become 'his' chair – Beckett was pacing around the box.

"But you just couldn't help yourself. You had to take care of it yourself, didn't you?"

He looked up from the shifty eyes of the man across the table to find her leaning against the back wall.

She was pissed.

Her eyes focused on him. Her lips curled into a silent 'shut up'.

And he obeyed.


	28. fossick

**fossick**

**-v.**

**to hunt; seek; ferret out.**

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Lanie Parish thought that the word "detective" should be incorporated into her job description. After all, she did detective work, right?

She investigated bodies, hunting down the causes of their untimely endings.

Scopes and scalpels - all tools of her trade.

It was with genuine care that she willed herself through the day. If she couldn't find the cause of death, the time, all the specifics, the detectives couldn't finish the job.

In the end, it all started and ended with the body. With the victim.

And they were a team, searching for evidence on opposite sides of the life-line.

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_There you have it! Seven more words! Some interesting ones, huh? I thought so. This one, 'fossick' is actually my favorite piece of the seven. I really hope you like them! I'm finding this whole project quite interesting. Sadly, I have to take a week off. Heading home for the weekend means I have a ton of stuff to do to get ready for it! See you in two weeks!_

_Love, Tappin_


	29. nepenthe

_Yay! I can update! I'm gonna apologize in advance for any future lag in updating. I'm trying to stay on top of this, but now I have a new fic that I'm working on. 'Investigating; Off the Books' if you're interested. Hopefully I can update that one within the next day or so. Hope you enjoy this new set!_

_3 Tappin.  
_

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**nepenthe**

**n.**

**anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, esp. of sorrow or trouble.**

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At one point in her life, Martha Rodgers would've gladly drowned her sorrows in wine.

But tonight, the deep, rich, liquid posed no interest for her.

Chet had been a good man. She knew that. Although, part of her would never forgive him for leaving her.

So, tonight, she would forget about him, forget the pain of loss, in the arms of the only truly good man she's ever known. Her son.

Somehow, despite his protest to the contrary, she managed him well. And he flourished into an honorable and loving man.

But with Richard, she could forgive and forget.


	30. retrograde

**retrograde**

**adj.**

**inverse or reversed, as order.  
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Who were the Castles to conform to normalcy? The typical, linear relationships? Those were too dull for the three of them.

They lived in a backwards sort of style. A sort of…distorted circle.

Alexis mothered her father. Her father mothered her grandmother. And her grandmother served as a pseudo-mother to her. It was very nearly a complete cycle.

There were gaps here and there. Occasionally they flipped and switched roles. Mixed it up. Kept up the spontaneity. In a way, prevented boredom.

Unconventional was an understatement. They were upside-down, inverted, and backwards. But they loved each other all the same.


	31. apocopate

**apocopate**

**v.**

**to omit the final sound or sounds of (a word)**

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Stammering.

He didn't do it very often – when he did there was usually a very good reason why.

Take his current position. The woman of his dreams was standing above him…around him. Her hands poised on the arms of his desk chair, on knee raised, pressed against his. Her face was only inches away from his. So close that he could think they were sharing breaths.

"Kate. I. Wha-where?"

She came in out of the dark. Dressed in a thin veil of lace. Whispering sinful secrets in his ear.

Too soon light broke in. He was left awake. Alone.

Stammering.


	32. hopscotch

**hopscotch**

**v.**

**to move or pass through something, as a geographical area or a field of endeavor, making many brief stops  
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As far as police investigations went, Javier Esposito sometimes felt like they were going nowhere.

There were so many steps. Nothing that could be ignored. Or else deeply deserved justice could be compromised.

It always felt too stop-and-go for him. Find a lead. Stop to question a witness. Get financial records. Stop to track credit card charges.

Javier Esposito was not a patient man.

Luckily, after days of playing hide and go seek with evidence, they would find the killer, and all that was left to do was go in for the chase.

It was then that he loved investigations.


	33. smithereens

**smithereens**

**n.**

**small pieces; bits  
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She didn't let on much about her personal life. If anything, all she allowed them were little hints and peeks at what she believed, made for a very unique Kate Beckett.

Castle was a romantic. That was truth. And she was pretty sure that he only theorized about her weakness for a love story.

They knew she had boyfriends, but what she did with them was her business.

And unless they were blind they now knew that she had a motorcycle.

Small glimpses were all they were allowed.

Anymore than that was akin to opening up Pandora's, rather Beckett's, box.


	34. ineffable

**ineffable**

**adj.**

**not to be uttered; taboo  
**

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He was a certain British secret agent.

He was the reason he became a writer.

He was the reason he ran around, ducking behind buildings, and under furniture for most of his childhood.

He was the reason he fell in love with mystery - murder was a different story.

He was, in a sense, Derrick Storm's long lost relative.

He was the inspiration for his charm.

He meant far too much to Rick to be jinxed. The "he who shall not be named" of novels. Rick would bend over backwards to write for him.

Until Nikki Heat entered the picture.


	35. fulsome

**fulsome**

**adj.**

**insincere or excessively lavish; especially, offensive from excess of praise.  
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If anyone knew anything about Lanie Parish, they knew that she didn't take crap from anybody.

Poetic words from wannabe royal suitors meant little, as they were so often stolen from another. Chocolates and candies would eventually be gone, consumed by…someone. And flowers would ultimately die, leaving nothing behind but withered, brown, husks of what was once beautiful.

All Lanie wanted was a nice, real man. A man who wouldn't try to win her over with the commercialized view of romance.

The only thing that interested her was a man's heart.

Well, a nice body wouldn't be so bad either.


End file.
